Villanova Non-Profits & Advocacy Resources

Villanova University has non-profit-specific programs, groups and tools. Be sure to review our career readiness resources to help you prepare, the campus engagement opportunities to integrate yourself into the industry, and options for networking with fellow Wildcats.  

Industry Advising and Career Counseling 

Our team of Industry Advisors and Career Counselors are available for appointments viaHandshake. 

  • Our team of Industry Advisors provides industry-specific career support to students and young alumni with focused career goals within a particular company or industry area. They possess knowledge of recruiting practices, trends, hiring timelines, and employer relationships to enhance your job or internship search. 
  • The counselors on our Career Development team aid in developing application materials (resumes, cover letters, personal statements, LinkedIn profiles), practicing interviewing and networking skills and learning the fundamentals of any successful job or internship search. 

Resumes, Cover Letters and More 

Resumes, cover letters and other professional correspondence you send during the application process is critical to your job or internship success. It is important that these materials adequately represent who you are as a professional and that you are showcasing your brand as a candidate seeking an opportunity in the accounting industry. For information on resumes, cover letters and more, check out these resources here. 

Develop Relevant Skills with LinkedIn Learning  
LinkedIn Learning is a leading online education platform featuring thousands of courses taught by industry experts. Courses on the site enable you to explore and develop expertise in a range of subjects to boost your marketability. Villanova offers LinkedIn Learning to all students, as well as alumni who graduated within the past 12 months. 

Critical Skills, Tools and Technologies utilized by Professionals in Non-Profits and Advocacy on LinkedIn:

  • Fundraising
  • Program Management
  • Volunteer Management
  • Program Development
  • Leadership Development
  • Human Resources
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Analytical Skills
  • Public Policy
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Social Media Content Creation
  • Grant Writing
  • Figma
  • Flutter
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  • Business Negotiation 

Update Your Career Interests in Handshake  

  • Click your photo in the upper right-hand corner to open the drop-down, then choose Career Interests
  • Which industries interest you?
    • Select all that apply. Make sure you don’t forget Social Assistance, NGO and Non-Profit – Other.
  • Which kinds of jobs, or job functions, interest you?
    • Select all that apply. There is not one specific job function you need to select, instead, select purely what interests you since a nonprofit will likely need that skill. Some popular job functions may include Administration, Community & Social Services, Counseling, Education/Teaching/Training and Marketing.

Be sure to update all of your Career Interests, including where you’d like to live after graduation, to ensure that you receive the best-targeted information from the Career Center. Remember, you can update your interests at any time!

Annual Events to Attend at Villanova University  

  • Villanova on The Hill Immersion Trip (Fall, applications open semester before)
  • Bringing Leaders and Students Together (BLAST) (Spring)
  • Non-Profit & Social Impact: Causes & Cookies Event (Spring)
  • Postgraduate Service Fair (Fall)
  • BRIDGE Society Careers in the Social Impact Space and Non-Profit Organizations (Spring)
  • Employer On-Campus and Virtual Recruiting: information sessions, coffee chats, career fairs, information tables
  • Student Society Events

Villanova Student Societies  

There are many cause-based student organizations at Villanova such as Business Without Borders, Relay for Life, Habitat for Humanity, Nova Non-Profit Network (for MPA students) and more. You need to identify and select an organization that matters to you.

Find a Mentor  

A mentoring relationship is a learning and development partnership between two people, typically a more experienced person (mentor) and a less experienced person (mentee). The relationship can last days, weeks, semesters or even years depending on the goals and experiences of the people in it. Mentors and mentees discuss topics like personal and professional decisions, explorations of career paths and ways to navigate a career. 

Informational Interviews